The inclusion of ads in Windows 11 has been a topic of criticism in recent times, with the concept of “badging” gaining momentum in preview builds. Microsoft claims these prompts are meant to be helpful for users, but many see them as a form of advertising, particularly when attempting to steer users towards signing up for a Microsoft Account and linking their OS installation to it.
It remains uncertain whether these ad-related features will make it to the final release of Windows 11, as they are currently hidden in the preview builds. However, limited versions of badging in the Start menu have already been rolled out in the finished version of the OS. It is possible that there may be an option to disable these ads, but the leaked screenshots suggest a significant portion of the Home page in the Settings panel is dedicated to them.
